The field of the invention relates generally to a blank and a reinforced polygonal container formed from the blank and more particularly, to a reinforced polygonal container that is hand formed from a blank for transporting a product stored within the container.
Containers are frequently utilized to store and aid in transporting products. These containers can be square, hexagonal, or octagonal. The shape of the container can provide additional strength to the container. For example, octagonal-shaped containers provide greater resistance to bulge over conventional rectangular, square or even hexagonal-shaped containers. An octagonal-shaped container may also provide increased stacking strength.
In at least some known cases, a blank of sheet material is used to form a container for transporting a product. More specifically, these known containers are formed by a machine that folds a plurality of panels along fold lines and secures these panels with an adhesive. Such containers may have certain strength requirements for transporting products. These strength requirements may include a stacking strength requirement such that the containers can be stacked on one another during transport without collapsing. To meet these strength requirements, at least some known containers include reinforced corners or side walls for providing additional strength including stacking strength. In at least some known embodiments, additional panels may be placed in a face-to-face relationship with another corner panel or side wall. However, it is difficult to form a container from a single sheet of material that includes multiple reinforcing panels along the corner and side walls. Further, it is increasingly difficult to form such a container by hand in the field, that is, without any machinery, and with little to no adhesive.
Machinery needed to quickly form and glue reinforced containers can require a substantial capital investment. Moreover, these machines can be costly to run and difficult to maintain, especially when the containers are being formed in the field for transporting agricultural products. In these agricultural applications, these machines are almost impractical to use. Accordingly, a need exists for a multi-sided reinforced container that is easily formed by hand from a single blank with little or no adhesive.